Manufacture of piston-valve locomotive-cylinders



P. SHEEDY.

`NLNUFACTURE 0F PISTON VALVE LCOMOTIVE CYLINDERS.

M wucmlou man NovLzz. 1918.

mmgm

WITNEE:

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR mmm @L Pat-@m Maf. 23, 1920.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

INVENTOF! P. SHEEUY. MANUFACTURE 0F PISTON VALVE LOCOMTWE CYLINDERS.

APPLCATON YILED NV. 22, 1918.

3 SHEUS-SHEU 3.

INVENTOR Patent-ed M of Los Angeles, in the 'PA'rnIeKsHnnnm 4or Los ANGELES, oetrromrra ss'sienon; oF oNETHInD ,To

f r.- KELLoeG. AND ONE-THIRD lro DAVID AnAMs'oN, no'rn or Losv ANGELES, CALL.

i, FORNIAw" To all whom-t may concern p B e it known thaty I, .PATRICK SHEEDY,

county of Los Angelesfand State 4of California, have invented inexpensive a lcertain neivand useful Improvement in theA lManufacture` of Piston-Valve LocomotiVeCylinderS, ol which improvement the following is a specification.

The objectof my invention is to effect a material Iand substantial economy in that element Vof the modernization of existing locomotives which relates to improvement in cylinder construction, by a simple and cylinders, of the vtype which has, until a comparatively recent date, been practically standard, in 'which steam is supplied, through an inside steam pipe, to a steam passage' inthe cylinder saddle, and, from said, passage, to al slide distribution valve chest, `into l'cylinders Ywhich, as now most approved in practice, are adapted to be supplied-with steam lthrough outside `steam pipes and a piston distribution valve chest. The .improvement claimed'is hereinafter fullyV set `forth.

lheadvantages of applying distribution valves of the piston type, for effecting the steam' distribution functions of locomotive cylinders, las`compared with those of the slide type, may be'stated as comprehending reduction ofthe power required for operating them, by reason" of their being balanced as to pressure,` the greater facility which they present of being fully and economically lubricated when in operation, this latter feature being one of special importance Where, as is new generally the case, the loco- 'mfotive operated with superheated steam;

andfthe `avoidance of the difficulty of makingfand maintaining an accurate litbetween the valve chest and its ,seat on the cylinder, which is encountered with slide valve chests of the dimensions required in locomotives oli' the designs in vvhich they are applied.

`The so-called outside? steam pipes, for supplying steam to the distribution valve chests of locomotive cylinders, are also of demonstrated advantage,`in the particulars offacilitating draft, by relieving the lower portion of the smoke box of the boiler from obstruction; eliminating steam leaks through bottom steam pipe joints in the Specicatien of Letters Patent! method of converting existingy MANUFAGTUR or rIsToN-vanvn -LocoiuoTIvE-CYLINDEBS..

smoke box; and promoting the application of superheaters, which are noW generally regarded, from an economical stand point, as being practically indispensable. i

'Ehe advantages above stated are now so We practically all new locomotives, cylinders provided with piston distribution valves and outside steam pipes, are applied, and the'approval of these features goes so far that, vin many instances, when it has been considered advisable to modernize existing locomotives by the application of recent improvements in structural detail, the inside steanrpipe4 slide valve cylinders and sad- .dles have been scrapped, and entirely new ones, fitted with piston valves and outside steam pipes, substituted, such change involving, at present prices, a very considerable cost, as, say, in the neighborhood of two thousand dollars locomotives of the average size. v

My invention enables piston valve outside steam pipe cylinders, of the present apvproved design, to be produced, by the conversion thereinto, of existing cylinders of the slide valve inside steam pipe type, which PATENT @met Patented Mar. 23, 1920. Application filed November 22, 1918.- Seial No. 263,706.

per pair of cylinders, in

tial period of withdrawal of the locomotive from service.

In the accompanying drawings :V Figure 1 is a vertical transverse middlen section through a locomotive "'cylinder; valve chest,

and saddle, of the slide valve inside steam pipe'type, to which my. invention is to be applied; Fig. 2, a similar section of the same, after its conversion into a piston valve outside steam pipe cylinder, by my inven tion; Fig. 3, a snbstantially vertical lon 4itudinal section, on the line III, III of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a substantially horizontal section, on the line IV, IV, of Fig. 2; Fig.` 5, a vievv, in perspective, of the cylinder and saddle, after being tion of the valve chest, and; Fig. 6, asimilar view of the' valve chest.`

plied to a locomotve cylinder, which, as shoWn in Fig. 1, isof' one of thestandard types heretofore and at present operating in railroad service with a slide distribu- 'prepared for the recep# My invention is herein eXemplied as aption valve and an insidesteam pipe. The cylinder, l, is, in the instance shown, cast Vintegral with a half saddle member, 3, and has, on its top, a ported valve face, l, which is inclosed by a valve chest 2, of rectangular form, within which, and over the valve face, 'a slide-distribution valve, 2a, is adapted to be reciprocated in the ordinary manner. The cylinder is supported on the rails of the locomotive frame, 4, by the saddle member, which, in turn, supports the smoke box, 5, of the boiler.` It will be obvious to those familiar with locomotive construction, that all the essentials of the construction Shown would be presented if the cylinder was connected to an independent bed plate, of one half of which the saddle member is the equivalent, as was 'formerly eneral practice, and is yet preferred by tie mechanical departments of some of the railroads of the United States.

'In the practice of my invention, a circumferential recess, 1b, is' formed at each end of the cylinder, 1, by cutting away the metal thereof for the major portion of its circumference above its axis, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, said recesses being provided for the reception of legs on adistribution valve chest, to be presently described. The top of the cylinder is planed off, to form a seat for said chest, and a longitudinal recess, 1, is also preferably machined in it, said recess being curved in conformity with the lower portion of the cylindrical wall of the valve v'35 chest, for the attachment of which the cylinder will, as so acted on, be in readiness.

In substitution for the original slide distribution valve chest, 2, there is provided a piston distribution valve chest, 22, in the end 40 portions of which are fitted open ended valve bushings, 6, 6, each provided with a plurality of admission ports, 6a, and a plurality of exhaust ports, 6b. Curved legs, 22a, each adapted to fit in one of the end recesses, 1b,

of the cylinder, are formed at the ends of the valve chest, and an induction and eduction port, l, is -cored in each of the legs, 22a. The ports, 1d,'extend directly between the cylinder and the valve bushings, and, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, they are of the shortest possible length, and are Wholly ,independent of the longer or original ports sof the cylinder, which ports are, as also indicated in Fig. 3, disused under my invention.

An upwardly extending steam supply nozzle,'7, is cast on the top of the valve chest, and an exhaust discharge conduit, 9, extends horizontally fromits inner side, said conduit communicating, at each end of the valve chest, with an annular space therein surrounding, and continuously open to, the exhaust ports, 6b, of the valve bushing at that end of the chest.

In order .to enable the exhaust discharge conduit, 9, to be connected with the existing exhaust passage, 3b, of the saddle member, the latter is bored out, in 'line axially with the desired position of the conduit, 9, and a. pipe section, 10, is, as shown in Fig. 2, fitted into the opening thereby made, said pipe section passing through the original steam supply passage, 32, of the saddle member, and having ground joints made with the walls of said member. The outer end of the pipe section, 10, is bolted to the adjoining end of the exhaust discharge conduit, a ball joint ring, 11, being interposed to make and maintain a tight joint.

The several members ofthe cylinder and valve chest structure having been,- provided, and subjected to the mechanical acts or operations above described, by which, together with ,the further acts now to be described, the original slide valve inside steam pipe cylinder is transformed and reduced to a different state or thing, i. e., a piston valve outside steam' pipe cylinder, the assemblage of the members, for operation in the transformed or converted cylinder, is effected as follows.

Thevalve chest, 22, is placed on the cylinder, 1, its legs, 22, Ibeing fitted accurately in the end recesses, 1b, which were cut in the latter, and the cylinder and valve chest are firmly and permanently secured together, so as to constitute, to all intents and purposes, the equivalent of an integral structure, by

. wrought iron bands, 12, which are shrunk on and around the cylinder and the legs, 22, of the valve chest, as shown in Fig. 3. The cylinder and valve chest a're then bored out, and a bushing, 1", of the ordinary type, fitted in the cylinder, said'bushing covering the joints between the legs of the valve chest and the cylinder, and effectually preventing leakage at these joints, which, it will be seen, are the only ones, between the,valve chest and cylinder, at which leakage would be possible. The valve bushings, 6, 6, are inserted in the valve chest, and the discharge conduit, 9, is connected to the pipe section, 10.

The exhaust passage, 3", of the saddle member, is preferably filled, below theI connection of the pipe-section, 10, therewith, either partially or wholly, with asuitable composition, as a mixture of cement and iron borings, concrete, etc., which may be retained in place by bolts, 13, and a plate, 14, as large as can be put in at top. The original steam supply passage, 3, of the saddle member should be closed, as by a plug or cap, and may also have a suitable filling inserted.

The completed structure, as above described, is in condition for the connection of an ordinary outside steam pipe, 8, which can be bolted to an end flange on the steam supply nozzle, 7, of the valve chest, a ball joint ring, 8, being interposed between the nozzle and steam pipe.

By the above method of transformation or conversion, which it will be obvious, can be. 130

plied to locomotive cylinders, which were constructed for operation with slide distribution valves and inside steam pipes, with the same facility as if said cylinders had been, asoriginally cast, adapted forsuch 'application, and in the improvement or modern ization of the locomotive, in this abandonment and scrapping of a valuable pair of cylinders is attained.

A special feature of novelty and advantage of the invention is presented in the complete elimination of steam leaks, by avoiding the use of the ordinary detachable valve chests, of bottom dimensions as large as those necessary with slide valves, and having joint wires interposed between them and the cylinder faces. l 7ith chests of such character,` assuming the uncertain possibility of applying them without turbing the joint wires, there remains the inevitable stretching of the fastening bolts in service, and as often as these are tightened, the valve chest and valve stem are correspondingly thrown out of alinement. A further advantage, nized by locomotive designers and constructors, is the capacity of providing direct induction and eduction ports, of minimum length and resultant reduction of clearance space, which `capacity is not attainable with slide valve cylinder into the ordinary detachable valve chests, as

these necessitate the retention of the original long ports, extending from the ends of the cylinder to the sides of the central exhaust ort.

P I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.4 The improvement in the manufacture of piston valve locomotive cylinders which consists in transforming or converting a a piston'valve cylinder, by a series of acts comprising cutting circumferential end recesses in the cylinder; fitting a piston distribution valve chest thereon, and engaging it therewith by legs on` the chest entering the end recesses of the cylinder; and securing the valve chest and.

cylinder together by shrinking bands around them.

2. The improvement in the manufacture of piston valve locomotive cylinders which consists in transforming or converting a slide valve cylinder into a piston valve cylinder, by a series 'of acts comprising cutting circumferential end recesses in the cylinder; fitting a' piston distribution valve chest thereon, and engaging it therewith by legs on the chest entering the end recesses of the cylinder; securing the valve chest and cylinder together by shrinking bands around i particular, the very substantlal economy of avoiding the yvalve cylinder into by distorting or "disl' Athereon,

which will be recogthem; and covering the joints between the valve chest and cylinder by insertinga busliing 1n the cylinder. V

3. The improvement 1n the manufacture.v

of piston valve locomotive cylimflers which consists in transita-ming or converting a slide valve cylinder into a piston valve cyl-- luder, by a series oi' acts comprising nittuig` circumferential end recesses inthe cylinder; `fitting a piston distribution valve chest thereon and cle-sing the original cyiinder" induction and eduction ports, by engaging le s on the chest havin@ short direct )erts with the end recesses of the cylinder; and securing the valve chest and cylinder to gether by shrinking bands around them.

el. The improvement in the manufacture of piston valve locomotive cylinders which consists in transforming or converting a slide a piston valve cyinder, a. series of acts comprising cutting circumferential end recesses in the cylinder; fitting a piston distribution valve chest andengaging it therewith by legs on the chest entering the end recesses of the cylinder; forming an exterior connection between the exhaust passage of the cylinder saddle and the valve chest; and securing the valve chest and cylinder together by shrinking bands around them. j

5. As a new article of manufacture, a locomotive cylinder having a piston distribution valve chest which is fitted upon it, and engaged with it by legs on the chest fitting circumferential recesses in the ends of the cylinder, and is secured to the cylinder by bands shrunk around it and the cylinder.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a locomotive cylinder having a piston distribution, valve chest which is tted upon it, and engaged with it by legs on the chest fitting circumferential recesses in the ends oi the cylinder, and is secured to the cylinder by bands shrunk around it and the cylinder,

and a bushing fitted in the cylinder and closing the joints between it and the valve chest.

7 As a new article of manufacture, a locomotive cylinder having a piston distribution Valve chest which is fitted upon it, and engaged with it by legs on the chest fitting circumferential recesses in the ends of the cylinder, said legs ha ving short direct inducports intercepting thetion and eduction course of ordinary ports leading toward the .for an outside steam supply pipe and a con nection exterior te the saddle member of the cylinder, with the exhaust passage thereof, and bands shrunk around the valve ,chest legs4 and cylinder and securing them together. y

9. As a-A new article of manufacture, a piston distribution valve chest for a locomotive'icylinder' having end legs' adapted to engage recesses in the cylinder and to extend into said recesses and through the cyl'- inier Wall, and, a 'direct induction and eduction port extending through each leg.

10. As a newarticle of manufacture, a

y piston distribution valve chest for a locomofor connection to an outside steam supply' pipe, and a. lateral conduit for connection to the exhaust passage of 4the' saddle member of 20 the cylinder.

PATRICK SHEEDY.

Witnesses: 4

-W. B. TUDoR, I. D. BRODEK. 

